Visit With Sister

I will not be sharing the experienced that occured while I was visiting my sister! I feel that it is best to leave the details 'there' where they belong. It was a great experience, one that gave me a greater understanding of the trials and struggles that Sis and those recovering from addiction and abuse go through to l...eave that life. I am glad I went, glad I experienced what I did.

Those I met were very respectful, took the time to listen to my background, core values, my beliefs, my love for my family, my husband and community. I listened to their backgrounds, values, love for their families, friends, and community. The way they survive and why they survive the way they do. They have a strong commitment and bond with each other!

I am happy to be home! There IS no place like home! That, I will always remember that!

The visit with my beautiful sister was a great reminder how forgiveness brings love, respect, honor, integrity-giving back the secrurity once lost, now flowing

Faries & Pirates donating to the Utah Food Bank

I sure had fun with my fairy dust and pirate dust at Homestead Nurserys Haunted Woods!  As said before, each year Dave and Karen, owners of Homestead Nursery, decorate their nursery for the month of October for a family friendly Haunted Nursery for Halloween.  The price for admission is donations for the Utah Food Bank.  This year over 1500 pounds of food was donated, that is twice the amount that was gathered last year.  Thank you to everyone who came out to support this great cause.

Remember to mark your calendar for next year and make this a family tradition!

We sure have!

Planning For My Trip to Arizona

I am looking forward to my trip to Tucson to visit with my sister and to visit some of the Women Shelters & AA, CA, NA Anonymous Groups speaking on my platform

'Feeling Free To Be Me'.

I can not wait to learn from others who have seen the world through different eyes than mine.  We all have our own experiences, we learn from one another, we gain wisdom and receive strength to move forward in our journey in this life.  I am so happy that Kathy has made this all possible for me to visit these places.

Check back to read all the details!

 

The Ascend Alliance Gala

The Ascend Alliance Gala Friday, September 25, 2009

(picture with David Osmond and Kurt Bestor)

One year ago, September 2008, I was invited by my very good friend, Kathryn Boswell, to attend my first VIP Gala.  I had no idea what to expect, I only knew that I needed  to dress up in my very best dress, that VIP’s (who are VIP’s) were going to be there, some celebrities, and that it was a fund raiser; I had brought a whopping $20.  I was also trying to get in contact with David Archuleta, I felt that he would somehow be important to their cause.

That night my eyes were opened up to this amazing Alliance, the VIP’s and Celebrities whose hearts, imaginations, knowledge and money reached out to people and places I couldn’t fathom.  The experience set a very strong impression and I knew without a doubt this was going to be one of the humanitarian groups I wanted to be a supporter of when I was able.  I immediately felt devotion!

One year later, August 2009 when I received my title of Ms. Western States 2009/2010, with the US Continental Pageant, the first charity that came to mind was ‘ASCEND – A HUMANITARIAN ALLIANCE’.  

Moving ahead, on Friday, September 25, 2009 another Gala was held. This time I was on the front lines and loved every minute.  I was given the assignment to invite David Archuleta again. 

Also for the evening, I, along with other current and past beauty pageant title holders, was a VIP Hostess.  I was assigned to David Archuleta, David Osmond and Osmond Brothers Group – Mike, Doug, Tyler, Nathan, Jon, Alex, and Scott along with the Osmond brothers band, The Second Generation.

Let me give you a break down of the evening.

The event was held at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah

5 – 7:00 p.m. - AUCTION, MARKET, PHOTO CONTEST & DISPLAYS
Silent Auction including international handcrafts, donated services and goods, exhibits of Education, Enterprise, Health & Technology programs; Service Learning and Expeditions

5:30 – 6:15 p.m. – VIP SPONSOR EVENT
Sponsors, award recipients and celebrity guests enjoyed camaraderie, photos, meet hostesses and enjoy special performances by Osmonds Second Generation and American Idol Star Carmen Rasmusen

7 – 7:40 p.m. DINNER, VISITING RECOGNITION
Flag ceremony; Military Color Guard, National Anthem sung by Carmen Rasmusen, a wonderful meal, multimedia production, and International Humanitarian Award presented to parents of the “Park City 5.”

7:40 – 8:15 p.m. – ENTERTAINMENT by Osmonds Second Generation, American Idol Carmen Rasmusen, ASCEND Video

8:15 – 9:30 p.m. LIVE AUCTION and FINAL DRAWING GIVE-AWAY: Auctioneer Richard O’Keefe with Special Guests Jill Stevens and Kirk Jowers

Also attending;
Master of Ceremony
Kirk Jowers, known as the most quoted man in Utah, Director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics, Director of the Institute of Public and International Affairs, graduated from the University of Utah and Harvard Law School.

Jill Stevens Shepard, 2007 Miss Utah, America’s choice for Miss America 2008, combat medic of US Military in the Utah National Guard.

Celebrity Chair – Lavell Edwards two-time NCAA coach of the year & sixth winning-est coach in NCAA history. (Brigham Young University Football Coach)

Celebrity Co-Chair – Richard and Linda Eyre are popular speakers on parenting, life balancing, and family strengthening, they are also on the New York best selling list.

International Guest – Marcelo Cabrera Palacios is Mayor of Cuenca, Ecuador, President of the Organization of World Heritage Cities and International Advisor for Ascend

Special Guests –

Frank Layden - President of the Utah Jazz for 13 years & Coach of the year in 1984.

Alan Osmond – just celebrated 50 years in entertainment and recently completed the Osmond Brother World Tour.  He and his wife, Suzanne are parents of eight boys who perform as “The Osmonds Second Generation.”

Kurt Bestor – Musician and Composer – highlights include an Emmy for his Calgary Olympic score, more than 30 film scores, and 40 televisions, including National Geographic, Good Morning America, & ABC Monday Night Football

Reno Mahe – running back for the NFL Philadelphia Eagles – led the NFL in punt returns with an average of 12.8 yrs per return in 2005, also played for Brigham Young University earning the All-MWC First Team honors and finished his college career as one of the best receivers in BYU history

Sunny Tonga Mahe – MVP of the Molten Classic Tournament – played volleyball for Brigham Young University receiving many awards and honors.  She was MVP of the Molten Classic Tournament as well as setting records with her hitting average.  Wife of Reno Mahe, they are parents of two girls and one boy.

Jim Boylen – University of Utah Basketball Coach – 2009 NABC District 17 Coach of the Year

Gabe Reid - played for the Chicago Bears after graduating from Brigham Young University.  Academic All-Mountain West Conference honors

Ron Boone – for 20 years his distinctive voice has been a part of Utah Jazz game broadcast.  Thirteen year professional player with American Basketball Association (Dallas, Utah and St. Louis) and National Basketball Association (Kansas City, Los Angeles and Utah)

Sponsor Event Entertainment

Luis Calquin – He loves representing his heritage through music and dance, and did a wonderful job entertaining us during the VIP Sponsors event as we visited.  He and his wife live in Utah

Joining By Video

Steve Young – Highest Rated Quarter Back in National Football League history, two time Most Valuable Player, and was induced into the NFL Hall of Fame – He has co-hostessed Super Bowl XXXIV on ABC, and is popular studio analyst on ESPN.  We came to know Steve during his stellar football career at Brigham Young University.  He earned his law degree from BYU and is currently a corporate spokesperson.

Dale Murphey – 1980’s Baseball Player – He played with Atlanta Braves’ – two MVP Awards, clubbed 398 homers, led the National League in home runs, RBI’s, and slugging twice each.  In his prime, he was compared to Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron.  He is in the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame, 1995.

Ambassador Jon Huntsman, Jr. – United States Ambassador to China – he attended the University of Utah, graduated from University of Pennsylvania, served as White House staff assistant to President Reagan, deputy assistant of commerce and deputy assistant secretary of commerce and U.S. ambassador to Singapore under President George H. W. Bush

Kimberly Perkins Klintworth – ABC4 News Veteran news reporter since 1980 – graduated from Cornell University, working in New York and Pittsburg before moving to Utah.  Kimberly travels to Africa and Latin America to report her “Profiles in Caring” for ABC news

WOW! What a night!  I will give you more updates later!

Family Friendly Hanted Nursery at Homestead Nursery

Come and Support HOMESTEAD NURSERY 
Family Oriented Haunted Nursery

with me 
Thursday, October 29, 2009 - 6:30 p.m.

1720 East 6400 South, Salt Lake City, 801-277-5993

Year after year Dave and Karen, owners of Homestead Nursery, have cleaverly enchanted their nursery with family fun spooks that intertwine and wind through-out the trees and plants at the nursery.  To enjoy all this fun, admission is canned and unperishable food for the Utah Food Bank.  
What could be better than that?

Hans and I love going each year to see what new items have been added!  
We go during the day so that -I- can see everything!  
(Actually, I am afraid of the dark so everyone humors me and lets me be spooked during the day light hours. Thanks Guys!)  

Make this a family tradition starting this year for you and your family!  

You won't be sorry!

I will be there with Fairy Dust for the girls and Pirate Dust for the boys

I will also be dressed up with crown, banner and fancy dress for pictures, autographs, hugs and loves for all of you!  
I can not wait to meet you!

Thanks to Dave and Karen for their Sponsorship during my reign as 

Ms. Western States 2009 / 2010 !

Attending Miss Brigham City Peach Days and Miss Murray Pageant

I had an enjoyable time at both of the ‘Miss Brigham City’ and ‘Miss Murray’ pageants I attended. The sad part was that my camera was not working during the Miss Brigham City Pageant. However, I do have a wonderful program to help with the memory of the great evening.
At both of these pageants, once they began, WOW, the excitement and talent never stopped.
Miss Brigham City was on Thursday, September 10, 2009. This Pageant is also tied into their annual Peach Days celebration. Among the many assets of Brigham City is the history and heritage that exists. Started in 1904 as a day-off from the harvest and time to celebrate "an abundance of the best peaches in Utah", this city-wide event is the longest continually celebrated harvest festival in Utah, and is reported to be the second oldest in the country. Peach Days is an honored tradition that brings approximately 75,000 spectators a fun-filled weekend that the Top of Utah and Southern Idaho residents look forward to every year. The event takes place in September, the weekend following Labor Day.
Attending the Miss Murray Pageant, Saturday, September 12, 2009, I learned that there is a story of tradition there as well.

Current Miss Murray Stacey Hansen 2010

Former Miss Murray Cari Southwich 2009

Enjoy the fun pictures I was able to get at the Miss Murray Pageant.

Above is Little Miss Murray 2010 MyKenzy Ford - It just happens we lived by her when she was just a baby.  What an exciting reunion to meet up with her mother and father!

Brittney, wearing my crown, is one of my favorite Special Olympians when I coached at the Summer Special Olympics several years ago.  She loved wearing my crown.  I was so happy to see her!

Are You Ready For The Upcoming Elections

Murray is my home community and has been for the past 20 years. My husband and I raised all of our children here participating in all that Murray has to offer.
Murray is a tight knit community which includes only seven Elementary Schools - the Grant Bulldogs - Horizon Husky - Liberty Leopards - Longview Lynx - McMillan Mighty Mites - Parkside Panthers - Viewmont Eagles. Two Junior High Schools - Hillcrest Gladiators - Riverview Rebels. Eventually all students are one in High School - Murray High Spartans. We are proud of our school and the students that attend.
We are known as the Tree City, being one of the original settlements in when the pioneers settled in Utah. The first thing they did was to plant trees in this desert land to bring some of the beauty and shade they were accustomed to.
There is an abundance of recreational and educational programs offered in our small community. To name a few we have our annual Fun Days, Arts in the Park, regular tours of our Historic District, our own Museum, Library, Golf Courses, Police Department, Fire Department, Historic Cemetery which include some of the original settlers of the Salt Lake Valley to our most current residents. We have our own Parks and Recreation department who oversee year round activities. The list goes on!
Why do I mention all of this, which by the way is only part of what we enjoy here in Murray, because election time is soon approaching? Are you ready?
The Primary Elections are around the corner! Are you registered? Are you informed? Do you even know who the candidates are?!!
You can find all that information in one spot -- the Murray website. Click the link below for direct access. Once you know, go over to City Hall to vote early. Polls opened, Sept. 1 at 9:00 a.m. The last polling date is Friday, Sept. 11.
Get out and Vote!
murray.utah.gov

Now just because Murray is MY home town does not mean that all areas of our country are not important to me. Be informed. Go to your local web sites, city hall or to your state offices to become informed. Become involved and let’s make your community and my community a great place to be.
From there we can make our County, our State, our Country the place that our founding fathers fought hard for. A free country! A Country to be proud of! A place of opportunity our children and grandchildren.
I am proud to be an American! I know you are too!

Thank You

Thank You to all of you who have called or written since my announcement of being Ms Western States. It is so nice to know that so many of you really care and support me. You all had beautiful things to say that has given me another boost to move forward.

As I said before, this is not in my comfort zone at all. Each time I talk to you about ‘my new chapter in life’ it amazes me of your confidence in me. It helps me to know that I can really reach out and help others with the ‘platform’ I have chosen, ‘Feeling Free To Be Me’.

I wanted to explain to you what I would like to accomplish with this ‘platform’, and what the phrase, ‘Feeling Free To Be Me’ means in my mind.

We all have our own lives, circles, families, etc that have a great influence on the decisions and choices that we make. Would you agree with this? This, in turn can also help to create our ‘core’, or our ‘values’. Are you following me? This can be a great and wonderful, secure environment when everything is in order. Right!?

Now I am not going in to a lot of detail on this. I am just skimming the surface.

Now step back and look around for a moment, and observe others. Unfortunately not everyone has a wonderful and secure environment around them.

When we do not have a secure environment, and all that goes with that, ‘we’ as an individual, are not ‘Feeling Free to Be Me’.

WOW!

Now that opens a can of worms!

I don’t claim to have answers, I can relate to some degree with each of you, as you can with me. Are you starting to understand what my ‘platform’ is all about?

My goal is to help all of us to try to find the courage to ‘Feel Free to Be Me’ no matter what is going on around us.

Stay tuned to this blog page as I will keep you updated with my Appearances, Speaking Engagements and all the other stuff that seems to happen during this year as Ms Western States.

I will also be posting my sponsors. Without them it would be difficult to meet a lot of the demands and expenses that come along with this Title of Ms Western States.

In conclusion, always feel free to contact me with your thoughts, information or just to say 'Hi'.

Hugs and Love to All
Elaine
FeelingFreeToBeMe@gmail.com

The Next Chapter of My Life

I had not even told my husband, children or even close friends about this exciting and rewarding venture I was about to embark on. It was July 30, 2009; I had filled out my application with US Continental Pageant, and in front of the 'blue box' outside of the Post Office. I had chosen to go to the post office to mail my application for fear that I would just take it out of my mail box.

With butterflies in my stomach, my hands shaking, I pushed the envelope into the 'blue box'. It was done; I could not dig into the mailbox without taking the risk of committing a felony.

I drove off trying to pretend I had done nothing. However, I knew this could potentially change my life forever. . . what in the world had I done?

When I was safely away from the scary 'blue box' I called my niece, “It’s Done!” I said, “I hope you are happy! I am a nervous wreck!”

You need to understand, that with the encouragement of my niece Christina, I was reaching far outside my comfort zone. I was seeking the Title as Ms. Western States Us Continental.

Let's jump ahead, on Thursday August 13, 2009 I had an appointment with Loreen Olney, the Executive Director of the US Continental Pageant. With a smile she handed me my letter...

Dear Elaine,

CONGRATULATIONS! The selection committee has chosen you, Elaine Ruitman as Ms Western States, ....

This portion of the letter is to be given to the community, businesses, sponsors, etc.

...Elaine Ruitman as Ms. Western States US Continental . . . will be available to assist you in many ways. Perhaps you would like her to act as an Emcee, or as an 'Official Hostess' for an upcoming event. You may wish to have her as a spokesperson for your next fund-raising campaign. She can ride in parades, sign autographs, shake hands, and attract a crowd like you've never seen before!

Signed by Loreen Olney


For me this has not been about beauty or fame, it has been about reaching out to those of who have felt, or currently are feeling the unforgiving pressures we put upon ourselves as women (men) and mothers (fathers) in the communities we live in.

My goal is to help us all see past the pitfalls of life. I hope to encourage all to gain the strength to rise each day with gladness in our hearts, and not feeling the apprehensions of facing yet another day.

I have been there, unfortunately. I placed expectations on myself and on those immediately around me that were unrealistic. Those expectations became a hinderment for any type of growth my life. I began to question myself and the decisions that I made.

I have always looked at myself as being an optimist, however at times I have struggled.

I look forward to the opportunities and challenges that come with this Title.

Please help me fulfill my goals to be an example and help in your communities and circles.

Sincerely
Elaine F Ruitman
Ms Western States
FeelingFreeToBeMe@gmail.com